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Department of Physics: Condensed Matter Theory Group

Condensed Matter & Materials Science Seminar

Thursday, April 18th, 2013

Jeff Ulbrandt

Department of Physics, UVM

"Inert-Gas Aggregation of Nanoparticles in Magnetron Sputtering"

Sputter Deposition is one of the standard methods for the deposition of thin
films. A well-known transition from compressive stress to tensile stress in
sputtered thin-films occurs above a critical deposition pressure. Previous
research carried out at UVM [1] showed that the cause of this transition can
be explained by the sputtered vapor forming nanoparticles prior to depositing
on the substrate. A system capable of directly measuring these nanoparticles
has been developed utilizing a quadrupole mass spectrometer. Data from the
mass spectrometer as well as X-ray scattering data on films deposited from
nanoparticles is presented for two materials; Copper and Tungsten Disilicde
(WSi2).
[1] L Zhou et al. Phys. Rev. B 82, 075408 (2010)